He’s the undisputed number one DJ and producer of Ireland. The mastermind behind global hits such as ‘Big Sky’, ‘Find Yourself’ and countless more. The owner of the magnificent Subculture label and a man loved for his rough, tough beats and sensitive melodies. If anyone’s got things going, it’s John O’Callaghan. With two ASOT 550 gigs lined up, it’s time to hook up with the man himself, and find out all about his world.

Hey John, how are you doing? Any exciting stuff going on? John:”Hello! Right now I am in Australia touring with Gareth Emery & Orjan Nilsen on the Future Music Festival, great times! Huge crowds and trance is going down great so, loving the vibe!”

Only a short wait to go until the A State of Trance 550 madness kicks in! What does that mean to an artist such as you? John:”It’s a massive privilege to be asked to play at ASOT550. People travel from all over to the globe to be part of this huge event, and to have a chance to play in front of this global crowd is a massive buzz. ASOT is truly a collection of all of the trance producers and DJs we are all connected to and it’s great to play alongside the colleagues you aspire to.”

You’re playing at the shows in Los Angeles and Den Bosch! Do you feel privileged to be playing at two of them? John:”Oh for sure! Just one is a big bonus but getting an extra show, especially in LA where trance is massively exploding right now – that’s a big boost for me! Recently we had a sold out Subculture show in LA so it’s great to be returning on a bigger stage – and the feedback on twitter has been off the charts for LA.”

ASOT is not only one of the best events to be playing at, but it’s also the best place to meet your colleague-DJ’s! Is it an event you’re looking forward to from a personal view as well? John:”Absolutely, last year was a LOT of fun and that green room backstage was I think the first time I seen so many DJ friends in one place. It’s great to catch up with all my friends from around the world and to be playing together in one place, that is what makes ASOT so special as a DJ.”

What can we expect from your sets there – any special exclusives you’ll be premiering? John:”Well that’s something I’m working on right now :) I hope to have some exclusive material, in fact yes there are at least 3 tracks that are brand new, and I will be getting some stuff from my Subculture label artists also, I should send that email right now!”

What does A State of Trance mean to you – both personally and from a professional view? John:”The radio show was something I listened to every week as a young clubber, and having a track played on it was something HUGE! Every track was quality and for one second to think, wow, my track just got played – that was a big confirmation and motivation to move forward and continue the dream of this DJ career. As a label, it has really set the standard for professionalism and consistency, and I am proud to have my name on that stamp. And for the events, well – they speak for themselves and are now established as the biggest and best trance events in the world.”

You’ve had many of your own tunes premiered on the A State of Trance show throughout the years. Is there a new one coming up that we should know about? John:”In April there will be a new Joint Operations Centre EP, 1 big trance techy thing and 1 slower experimental B side, also in June there will be a new John O’Callaghan EP, this one way more clubby. And also, my remix of Gareth Emery’s Concrete Angel will be out pretty soon! After the summer, still working on those.”

Last one: is there anything you’d like to say to Armin and/or the A State of Trance fans? John:”Thanks to Armin for being a true ambassador to trance from day one and without his help, advice and support I am 100% sure I would not be in this career. To the fans of trance and those who keep trance alive – this is a real club culture so let’s stick with the music we love, keep going to clubs, keep raving and trance will stay strong for a long time to come.”